Returning to Zion

When I was younger, I couldn't wait to get out of my hometown. For twenty-two years, I had never been away for longer than two weeks, and I hated that. Feelings of loathing, boredom, being trapped, and much more were constantly upon me. I couldn't help thinking that I was better than my hometown and that I could do better than the small town I lived in. It took me moving far away from home for a couple of years to realize that I actually love my hometown and the people who call it home.

Yesterday, I went out to lunch with a close friend. As I was driving to meet her, I drove past my elementary, middle, and high schools, the swimming pool, my university, and many restaurants and businesses that I used to frequent. Very few changes have been made, but you could still see a constant change to make a better, stronger community. It was fun to see my old stomping grounds and memories came flooding back to me. Most of them were happy memories, and some of them were not so happy memories. I remembered when my swimmers won multiple regional and state championships, my own swimming days where I trained many hours each day, walking up to seminary, my "freshmen fan club," falling in love with the human body in Mrs. A's class, my first crush, all the times I went sledding, the places I would go when I was sad and needed to cry, and some serious conversations I had with close friends. Memory after memory came back to me during my drive, and I am grateful that I have so many good memories from growing up.

When I arrived at the restaurant and saw my friend, I couldn't believe how much I missed her. It was so good to see her, catch up on our lives, and reminisce about swimming, friends, and shared experiences. During our lunch and my drive to and from the restaurant, I realized that I do love and miss my hometown. I'm grateful that I grew up in a place where I could be a kid and a place that allowed for a relatively easy transition into adulthood. My hometown helped shape me into the man that I am today through all of the good and bad experiences that I have had, and I wouldn't have it any other way.